What Hifi Magazine - The Big Question, blind testing.

What Hifi Magazine - The Big Question, blind testing.

Each month WHF magazine get three or their forum members into their listening studios and put them through various blind tests. The aim is to answer various questions about the validity of various Hifi myths and to help readers decided on what is worthwhile changing or not with their Hifi.

The articles are only available in the magazine, so I thought I would summarise the ones I have. I buy the magazine when there is an article I want to read and don’t subscribe. I am a forum member and I trust the numerous reports from the forum members who have attended that everything is fair and above board. Those who do go are not told what will happen until they get there and are then sworn to secrecy until the magazine comes out.

Feb 2010 - upgrading a budget system. A NAD CDP and amp and Dali speakers are swapped about with a Cyrus CDP and amp and ATC speakers. The results were that each change, replacing a budget with a mid range item was noticeable, but not always worthwhile. The difference between budget and midrange was not as great as expected. The overall conclusion was that upgrading “no longer has a simple answer”.

June 2009 - how low can compression go? Three files at 128kbps, 320 kbps and Apple lossless were played and each was identified correctly. Then a CD versus a ripped Wav file with two to one preferring the CD. Next were three files at 128, 192 and 256kbps. The result was completely mixed with no file performing better than another. Next was WAV versus Apple Lossless and no one expressed a definite preference. All struggled to say that there was a difference, though two said they preferred WAV.

The last test was Apple Lossless versus 320 kbps and lossless was preferred, but not by a much. The conclusion was that compression does make a difference, but is more noticeable between high and low and not so comparing each with something in-between,

Sept 2009 -how much difference do cables make and are they worth it? The set up is blind with both kit (Cyrus, Roksan and Spendor) and the cables. As far as the forum members are concerned each time a change is made it is the kit and no mention is made that it is the cables being changed. They are played the same three tracks with each change (Gershwin, The Chemical Bros and Bonnie Prince Billy).

First time it is with cheap no brand cables and the conclusion is that it all sounds flat with poor dynamics.

Second a Lindy mains conditioner and Audio Copperline Alpha power cables are introduced. The conclusion was that the sound was now clearer, more dynamic with better sound stage.

Third the standard interconnects are changed for Atlas Equator MkIIs. The conclusion is that the Gershwin track is the same, but the other two are better for bass and detail.

Fourth the speaker cable which was 60p per metre is swapped for Chord Carnival Silverscreen at £6 per metre. The Gershwin track was better for one person, but the others said there was a small difference.

Then the systems are mixed between 1 to 4 and it is clear that system 1 is outperformed by 2,3 and 4, but 2,3 and 4 are closer.

When the forum members are told what had been going on they are very surprised. The conclusion is that mains conditioning with the Lindy and mains cables made the biggest difference and after that interconnects and then speaker cable.

I have also flicked through issues testing racks, yes different racks make a difference and there have been quite a few on home cinema, including HDMI cables and they made a difference as well!!!

You will no doubt find flaws in these test, but there is no doubt that there is an effort going on to verify audiophile claims. Could the next Can Jam include some sort of blind test and the results published?

It is WHF staff who run the tests and as I said the only information is published in the magazine. But forum members who have been are adamant all is above board.

With regards to racks, when I bought one for my old system I was staggered that it did make a difference. But when I made my own one it made no difference. So I am prepared to go with their conclusion that different racks make a difference.

I do agree some of the terminology and descriptives used are OTT, but they are journalists with a remit to sell a magazine by making it interesting.

From the various articles, they do only change one thing at a time, maybe that did not come over in my original post.

If you want more detail, why not join the WHF forum and ask?

I suspect that even if a very large scale ABX or other test was run there would be those who remain unsure. In any case the results would not be totally conclusive as there will be those who hear no difference and those who do.

WHF have at least contributed to the many smaller scale tests that suggest there is a case for different cables, racks etc.

There are many forum posts here and on the WHF forum where people have run their own mini blind tests. Some find no difference and others do. I did my own with different bit rates on the wife, which she got 100% correct and then when she did on me I did not!

The real aim here is to add actual evidence to the numerous round and round debates that fill this and all other audiophile forums.

I am on the list waiting to get to one of the WHF tests myself.